The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) announced two orders designed to bolster access to the updated COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the upcoming respiratory illness season. The policy clarifies that any person 6 months of age or older can receive the updated COVID vaccine.
NJDOH issued a second order that directs pharmacists to offer the COVID vaccines without a prescription to individual age 3 years and up.
The policies come in response to the new federal policies which restrict vaccine access for many adults and children. The CDC and FDA circumvented normal vaccine review processes, which has created uncertainty around who is eligible for the vaccines and whether insurers will cover it.
CVS and Walgreens announced they are limiting the availability of the vaccines in response the federal policy changes. CVS announced, in compliance with state laws, that they will offer COVID-19 vaccines in 34 states without a prescription. In 16 other states, consumers will face restrictions, such as the need to receive a prescription from a healthcare provider.
In announcing the executive order, New Jersey health authorities said that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “bypassed the normal scientific review process, creating confusion and uncertainty, especially because they conflicted with previous CDC recommendations.”
In issuing the executive orders, New Jersey joins New York, Minnesota and other states which have implemented similar vaccine orders to boost vaccine access for people who want it.
